Learning To Forgive
by VyxenSkye
Summary: After Kenshin died, Kenji and Yahiko found him and Kaoru under the trees. These are Kenji’s thoughts as he carried his father home for the last time. Oneshot. Spoilers for the end of Reflection.


Learning To Forgive

By: Hitokiri Musei

Rated: K+

Summary: After Kenshin died, Kenji and Yahiko found him and Kaoru under the trees. These are Kenji's thoughts as he carried his father home for the last time. One-shot. Spoilers for the end of Reflection.

Sadness, character death. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or Samurai X : Reflection, which I will use scenes from. I don't know how Kenshin actually got home, but this is my version of it. Enjoy, and please review.

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In the center of a dirt path, Kaoru Himura sat, her husband's head in her lap. She gently stroked his fiery red hair, talking quietly and looking out over the pond.

"I wonder how long the cherry blossoms will last. Kenji, Yahiko, Tsubame, Miss Megumi, I want to have a cherry blossom party and invite everyone. I want to have one the next year too. And the year after. Who knows, by then Yahiko might be a father." Kaoru giggled softly, imagining this in her mind. She then drew her attention back to the man. There was a small smile on his face, which was peaceful. One hand rested in her lap, lightly wrinkling the fabric of her yukata.

"Shinta? You're so tired, aren't you?"

Carefully she reached down and pushed aside a lock of hair that covered the side of his face. A small gasp escaped her lips as tears formed at her eyes. A moment later, they fell to the still man's cheek, the cheek that was unmarred by the cross-shaped scar.

"Shinta. It's...It's finally finished." Her tears came quicker now, and she leaned over the man's prone form, her sobs echoing around the clearing. She buried her nose in his red hair, breathing in the scent that was him, and only him.

"Kaoru!"

She did not look up at the sound of her name, but the footsteps came closer to her. She clutched at the fabric of the coat she had thrown over her husband's shoulders, allowing her tears to continue flowing.

* * *

(Kenji)

Yahiko and I rushed down the path, looking for my mother. She was gone, where could she go? She was so ill, I was worried…..

There she was, beneath the cherry trees in the soft light, bent over the still form of a man. My father, I realized with shock. "Mother!" I cried, running faster towards her. She did not look up at me, only continue to slump over my father. Her shoulders were shaking….My eyes widened. "Mother?" I knelt beside her, placing one hand on her shoulder.

She finally looked up at me, tears streaming freely down her face and pain in her blue eyes. "Kenji…." She looked down at my father again, and it was then I saw that the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek was gone. "He is free…."

The shock finally hit me and I simply sat there. My father had finally returned to us, only to die. Yahiko came forward, putting his arm around my mother's shoulders. "Kaoru, I think we should get you inside….."

She looked back down at my father, stroking his hair gently. "I want to stay with him Yahiko…."

"We'll bring him too Kaoru. Now come on, we don't want you to catch a chill." I think that Yahiko knew deep down that she would not last much longer than my father, but he still had concern for her. She allowed herself to be lifted into his arms, to tired and unwilling to stand on her own.

Yahiko looked at me. "Kenji, you will have to carry him back. Can you do that?"

I pulled in a shuddering breath, but nodded. Yahiko walked ahead of me, carefully bringing my mother with him. I stared at my father's body for a moment more, and then gently slipped my arms beneath him, lifting him into my arms. I closed my eyes, fearful at the feel of his limp weight. I pulled him closer to me so I wouldn't drop him, and then began to walk.

As I did I felt tears well up in my eyes. I looked down at him, where his head rested against my chest. His face was so peaceful, so contented. I bit my lip, trying to hold in the tears, but they flowed down my cheeks anyway, falling down to land on my father's face.

I didn't know why, but I began to talk quietly to my father's dead body, trying to calm myself in a way. "Father, why didn't you come home to us? Why did you leave Mother to wait for you?" I looked down, closing my eyes. "Didn't you care about me?"

Growing up without a father was hard, and I had never felt any affection for my father for the reason that he was always away. But now, with him lifeless in my arms, I felt my hard sense of reason begin to chip and melt away, finally realizing the truth.

"You were never there for me Father, but I…." I paused again, opening my eyes to look down at his face again. "I still forgive you." I let out a soft sob that I could not contain. "I feel no more remorse, no more dislike." I continued. I hugged him closer to me. "I still love you Father……" And I cried. I sank to my knees in the middle of the path and held my father's dead body close, sobbing into his shoulder. "I just wish you had come back to me…. to Mother…."

I stayed there for several moments, mourning his passing. I suddenly felt a wave of comfort, a feeling of warmth rush through me. I looked up, looking ahead to where my home stood in the distance. I could almost see the figure of my father, standing there on the path before me.

"Thank you Kenji, my son. I am sorry, and I love you as well. Take care of your mother, for the rest of her days………thank you…….." His voice drifted by me, and I was comforted. I stood again, filled with a new strength.

"Thank you Father." I murmured. I walked back to the dojo, ready to spend the time with my mother, and protect her for as long as she remained alive.

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I'm still not quite sure what I think of this fic myself, but I tried my best. This is how I imagined Kenji might feel, so let me know what you think.

Ja ne!


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